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I’m Bob Larson. Frustrations continue in the farming community after the state PDC ruled campaign finance laws didn’t apply to What’s Upstream, the anti-farming group supported by federal funds.

Save Family Farming’s Gerald Baron says while little has changed locally, there are some signs of change on the national scene ...

GERALD BARON … “Well, of course we were very disappointed with the state response in terms of both the Public Disclosure commission recommendation as well as the Attorney General’s decision not to enforce the state campaign laws. And, we’re continuing to deal with that, but we were very much encouraged by the comments of Ray Starling who is President Trump’s new special assistant for agriculture on the National Economic Council.”

Baron hopes it might be a sign of things to come …

GERALD BARON … “So, he’s one of the top, if not THE top, Ag advisor for the new administration. And, he made a presentation on National Ag Day where he laid out what the Trump Administration’s priorities were and we were very, very pleased to see in that list of priorities a commitment that EPA will no longer be funding activist groups that put up billboards attacking farmers. Obviously, a reference to What’s Upstream.”

Baron says What’s Upstream, made up of the Swinomish Tribe and several environmental groups, is accused of using some $655,000 in EPA funds, passed through the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, to influence state lawmakers to vote for stricter limits on farming near waterways.